Terrence Donnelly (LLD 2003)

The 2015 Paul W. Fox Award recipient, Terrence Donnelly, was born in London, Ontario and began his career as a lawyer, attending the University of Western Ontario and Osgoode Hall Law School. He was called to the bar in 1962. In 1964, a chance encounter with Colonel Harland Sanders—known for the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain of restaurants—transformed Donnelly’s life, setting him on a path to success.

Donnelly gradually acquired numerous franchises across Canada, and by 1980 he sat on both the KFC Board of Directors and the charitable foundation that controls the corporation. He is currently the president of the Terrence Donnelly Foundation, and director and president of the Colonel Harland Sanders Charitable Organization.

As a volunteer and philanthropist, Donnelly gives generously of his time, expertise and resources to improve the health-care field in Canada in three key areas: clinical care, cutting-edge medical research, and the education and training of physicians and other health care professionals.

Along with outstanding generosity to other organizations, including St. Michael’s Hospital and the London Health Sciences Centre, Donnelly has given more than $25 million to the University of Toronto. In 2004, he gave $8 million to establish the Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research—home to more than 30 world-renowned researchers and 500 research staff members.

And in 2012, his gift of $12 million established the Terrence Donnelly Health Sciences Complex, matching a $10 million gift by Carlo Fidani and creating new bursaries for incoming students at the Mississauga Academy of Medicine at U of T Mississauga.

Donnelly, who received the Order of Ontario in 2001 and became a member of the Order of Canada in 2014, is well known at UTM—often attending events and spending time chatting with students in the Mississauga Academy of Medicine. He is a member of U of T Mississauga’s Boundless Campaign Cabinet and a great friend to the University of Toronto.

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